Kelsey was the little girl who dressed up as a cowgirl with the same stick horse every Halloween until she turned 18! In the early years her horse interactions were limited to her family’s summer trips to her uncle’s farm in Texas and reading every horse series she could find. Everything changed when at the age of 11 Kelsey was awarded a horse camp scholarship by the local Rotary Club and her equestrian journey began on a Morgan horse named Jimmy. At the end of that week she knew horses would always be a part of her life.

The next couple of years she devoted herself to being a working student at the local rodeo grounds and equestrian center in southern California. Between taking lessons, working at locals shows, and competing in 4-H she absorbed as much knowledge as possible. She competed in showmanship, horsemanship, and trail competitions. Senior year she also had the chance to compete in her hometowns 50th Anniversary Cattle Call Rodeo Queen competition. That competition allowed her to attend clinics and ultimately compete in cattle sorting and serve as a flag runner.

As her experience grew Kelsey found that not only did she love to learn about horses, but she also loved to teach. After being encouraged by her trainer and mentor she took a summer job as Wrangler at Victory Ranch, a youth and family camp in Moreno Valley, California. It was there that she got the amazing privilege of giving hundreds of campers their first experience with horses. Teaching horse anatomy, animal husbandry classes, and basic horsemanship brought her so much joy that she returned to work there every summer through college.

After moving to the PNW in 2009 she met some amazing people in the outdoor industry! Over the next decade she had the chance to guide and teach outdoor education to all ages. Her outdoor endeavors also led her to pursue another lifelong passion for first aid by earning her Wilderness First Responder. Her foundation in risk management and love for teaching in a non-traditional classroom has allowed her to take people on some wonderful adventures and has ultimately led her to Western Sky Horsemanship. She is very excited to have met Dale and the Western Sky team and hopes to have many new adventures with them!